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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28853601">ECHO: Liar's Gambit</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlitgems/pseuds/Feldspar'>Feldspar (Moonlitgems)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlitgems/pseuds/Moonlitgems'>Moonlitgems</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Post-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Post-Ultra Despair Girls, Pre-Goodbye Despair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:40:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,253</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28853601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlitgems/pseuds/Feldspar, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlitgems/pseuds/Moonlitgems</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What would happen if Nagito reunited with Izuru before they'd been been captured? How would the events have been altered?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Kamukura Izuru/Komaeda Nagito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I haven't gotten to finish playing despair girls or watching danganronpa 3, so I apologize if there's something's that dont match up with the timeline.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>0</h1>
<p><br/>
There was a strange sensation all across his body. Much like static, it made the hairs on his skin stand on and. It wasn't something he'd ever experienced, but with his luck there was no question that it was something bad. There were many bad things that could happen to someone in the night, even when they were surrounded by as many people as he was.</p>
<p>Maybe he'd be struck by lightning, He pondered as he walked down the street, watching as people passed by him, there gazes lingering to the collar and chain around his neck. There hadn't been a chance for him to remove the wretched thing. His escape from Towa City had been more difficult than he thought.</p>
<p>It was almost funny how unlucky and lucky, at the same time, he'd been. His back still ached from being thrown into the wall by those suspicious people in black suits. It had been hardly necessary. If they'd just told him where they planned to take him, he would have happily accompanied them. They did not have that courtesy, however, so he fled. By doing so he inadvertantly started a chase, ending in a car accident. He made it out completely fine, of course, such was his luck. The people that's been following him, were not so fortunate. Either they were dead or severely injured. He didn't stop running to find out. Death was a normal part of Nagito Komaeda life, at this point. All he could do was run, hide, and hope to find a safe place in this world ravaged by despair. Deep down he knew that there was hardly any places safe nowadays, Towa City was proof enough of that.</p>
<p>This new city he was in wasn't much better. It was run down, filthy, and had obvious signs that it had barely escaped decimation in the Tragedy. It was safer than most places at the moment, unfortunately. Something was brewing in world. Nagito wasn't sure whether it would lead to hope or despair, but he expected a fantastical hope far greater than anything humans had ever seen. Until then, the dark streets of this unknown city would be his home.</p>
<p>Though, where exactly he would be staying was still up in the air. He'd tried to get an appartment in Towa City. That had made it easy for the Warriors of Hope to find him. So, it might not be in his best interest to do so here. At least, not until he was sure that he had not been followed. A motel would probably be the best temporary solution. Though finding one in an unfamiliar city would be challenging. The quickest solution would to be to ask someone, but as that thought passed his mind, someone quickly appeared in front of him. He instantly slammed into the other, wincing as though he'd hit a wall. His hands instantly went up to a defensive position as he took a couple steps back.</p>
<p>"Oh, pardon m-," He said, a nervous laugh escaping his lips, only to stop at the site of who he'd ran into. Standing in front of him stood a strange man, his long dark hair hanging down masking his face. Nagito instantly recognized the man, he was one that could never truly be forgotten. Especially, when they'd almost murdered you.</p>
<p>"You-" He was cut off by the man rushing forward and tossing him back behind a trash can. He went to shout but a strong hand covered his mouth muffling any attempt to do so.</p>
<p>"Keep silent." The man said, his red eyes focused over his shoulder. Nagito didn't argue, nor did he struggle. Maybe it was because he'd gotten used to being pushed around-Or maybe he just didn't care what happened to home anymore. Either way, there was no mistaking this person. He was the man that'd shot him. They stayed there in silence, the man's hand covering his mouth as he loomed precariously over top of Nagito. If this was a different situation, Nagito might have enjoyed the warmth that seemed to radiate off the others body. Sadly, it was not that type of situation and Nagito was getting a bit annoyed.</p>
<p>It was then Nagito heard a rather large group of foot steps approaching the alley they were hidden in. The man moved closer to Nagito as if on instinct to conceal the both of them in the shadows. Nagito soon realized who the man was hiding from. A group of about three people appeared. They all wore black suits and muttered amongst themselves about 'remnants', or something Nagito could quite make out.</p>
<p>They are already searching this city, Nagito thought watching them pass by the alley way, not even looking their way.</p>
<p>They stayed there for a few more moments, listening to the late night bustle of the city around them. Then, without so much as a glance toward Nagito, the man pulled away from him, moving toward the edge of the alley. Nagito stood himself, thankful that the wounds on his legs seemed to be alright. The last thing he wanted was to be bleeding all over the place.</p>
<p>"Did you hide me from them?" Nagito said, brushing the dirt from the back of his pants. The man simply began to leave the alley was causing Nagito to shout at him.. "H-Hey!"</p>
<p>"Lower your voice, unless you wish for them to come back," He said in the same monotonous voice, not even looking back to Nagito. He didn't move to leave again, so Nagito walked over to him.</p>
<p>"They're after you too. That's why you hid me-because I saw you, right?" The man looked back at him an almost annoyed expression passing through those gleaming red eyes. Hit the nail on the head, did I, Nagito thought a smirk forming on his lips. It would have been amusing to watch those fools in black try to catch this monster, but he was grateful that he hadn't been captured himself. He went to say as much, but the man simply sighed and began walking away in the opposite direction of the uniformed individuals. Nagito instantly followed after him, not planning on missing an opportunity to learn more. He hated this man almost as much as he did the Ultimate Despair. However, he couldn't deny that he found the man intriguing.</p>
<p>"Why do you follow me," The man said flatly, not even giving him a glance.</p>
<p>"I have no idea what you are talking about," Nagito said, his voice hitching making sound like he was insulted at the accusation. "I am simply walking in the opposite direction of those dangerous people." His voice came out naturally innocent as he continued to follow after the other. "But~Since we're going the same direction, would you tell me your name? I'm Komeada, Nagito," He said, moving forward to look at the other's face, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other's eyes.</p>
<p>A sigh was the only response he got before the man turned the corner and headed down a back alley. Nagito briefly contemplated whether to follow or not, before heading off down the alley himself. No more words were spoken. He just continued to follow the other, silently, as they leisurely walked to where ever their destination was. It was easy to keep up with his pace, surprisingly. It was like the man wanted Nagito to follow him. It was a bit of a curiosity to him. He supposed the man could kill him, if he so desired. There was no doubt that his power had only grown. It was clear in the aura he gave off and how his uniform fit him. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he noted that the man was also dressed in a black suit. It greatly contrasted his miserable outfit. The grey and red striped shirt he wore hung loosely on his body, covered by a black jacket. That along with his collar and mitten, made him quite the site to see. And it made him stand out like a sore thumb. Though they both seemed to do that in there  own ways. It was getting a bit boring to just follow this person, though, so he decided to try to get him to speak.</p>
<p>"So, where are you heading off, too," He said aloud, but silently he was asking 'What are you planning'. He had worked with the Ultimate Despair once upon a time, after all. He was an abomination, a lab rat, that while intriguing, could not be trusted. There was no answer to his question, something Nagito was completely used to. "What brings you to this city?" More silence. "What have you been up to since graduation?" Did he even graduate? Nagito didn't care to know.</p>
<p>He supposed that it was out of curiosity and boredom that he fell behind the other slightly, taking in his slender, but obviously toned body. The way his suit fit his body gave off that clear indication that he was a very lean young man. It was also quite mesmerizing how his hair flowed elegantly with every step he took. Even each step was made with a clear intention, it was quite amusing considering how tense the man's shoulders were.</p>
<p>Walking with a purpose, I believe the phrase goes, He thought. Pondering just what that purpose was Nagito noticed the other had slowed to a stop. He did the same keeping a good distance between them. Even if the distance didn't matter to either of them. Something was bound to happen, but they just stood there awkwardly staring at each other. The longer he waited, though, the more curious he became. To Nagito, the man seemed to be deep in thought. Excitement and nervousness danced around in his chest at what Nagito thought the other was thinking about.</p>
<p>"Are you going to try to kill me, again," Nagito said, running his hand shakily through his mess of silver hair. He waited for any sort of response from the other. What he got was not what he expected.</p>
<p>"Kamakura, Izuru."</p>
<p>"Pardon?" It was obviously a name, but it surprised Nagito to hear it. He'd been expected something more violent than that, after all.</p>
<p>"That is my name. Now you have no reason to follow me," The man said, his voice not even showing the slightest shift in tone. Something told Nagito that he was annoyed, though. Never the less, he was elated to finally have a name to match the face.</p>
<p>"Who said that's why I was following you," Nagito said clapping his hands together in amusement. "Though, I am happy that you told Trash like me your name. It's quite the honor. Thank you, so much." There was silence following that statement as Izuru stared him down. A part of Nagito wondered if the man was actually planning on killing him. With how he stared, it wouldn't surprise him in the slightest.</p>
<p>"What is it that you want from me," Izuru said, head tilting back slightly, this moved his hair just enough for Nagito to catch a glimpse on the deep crimson eyes. The seemed brighter in the dark alleyway and a physical shiver ran down his spine as he stared back at the menacing gaze.</p>
<p>"I want to be your friend," Nagito said with a laugh, a nervous smile forming on his lips.</p>
<p>"What a boring answer," Izuru said, with out missing a beat, turning away from him. Nagito could only let out another nervous laugh at the reaction. He had expected a scoff or a bit a sarcasm, but to be given such a response had him feeling a certain way.</p>
<p>"Would you want me to say, I want to kill you," Nagito said, a carefree smile on his face. Izuru turned his head back slightly, just enough for their gazes to catch.</p>
<p>"You would not be able to."</p>
<p>What a cocky bastard, Nagito thought the smile never leaving his face. He wanted to crush the bastard under his foot. If he has the chance to, he planned on do so. Until then, he'd just play nice. "Wow, how rude of me. I said something inappropriate. Please, just forget that I just said that." He said as he took a step forward. "Though, I was not joking about being friends," He said, never taking his eyes off of Izuru.</p>
<p>"Are you going to follow me inside?" Nagito flinched as he realized that Izuru was standing in front of an open door. When the door opened, he did not know, but it surprised him more that Izuru asked if he was going to continue to follow him.</p>
<p>"You're inviting me inside," He said, sounding more startled by that than the fact Izuru was still standing there, holding the door open, like he was waiting for Nagito to walk in.</p>
<p>"You've no where else to go, it seems, and it will be difficult to find some place safe with the Future Foundation looking for you," Izuru said, his voice never changing. Nagito wondered, just for a moment, what would it take to make that monotone change. It passed quickly as he processed what Izuru just said.</p>
<p>"What they do is no matter to me. As long as I have my luck, they won't be able to catch me," Nagito said, a small chuckle at the thought of how easy it had been for the Warriors of Hope to decimate the group in Towa City. "However, I am quite curious about what your intentions are. So, I humbly accept. Thank you for letting a worthless human like me into your home," Nagito said, walking past the other man, Izuru's gaze never leaving him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>2</h1>
<hr/>
<p><br/>To his surprise, the space he entered was practically barren. There was a fairly large queen sized bed, adorned with simple linens and a night stand, off to the right of the room. A set to the left side, covered in neatly organized papers and what looked like diagrams, was a desk and chair. On the far side of the room was another door and an opening that seemed to lead to a kitchen. Other than that the room was empty.</p>
<p>"Not much of a decorator, are you?" Nagito said, more to himself than to the other man in the room.</p>
<p>"There's no reason for 'decoration' as I do not intend on staying here for much longer," Izuru said, walking over to the bed. "This is the bathroom. Use it as you see fit." He motioned to the door, as he opened the nightstand drawer.</p>
<p>"I appreciate it, but I do not particularly like showering with this on," Nagito said, flipping the chain that hung on his neck. Izuru simply pulled out a black case, the size of his palm.</p>
<p>"Come here." It was a command, but Nagito found himself stubbornly staying by the door. "I am going to remove that for you," He said, causing a sarcastic noise to escape Nagito's lips.</p>
<p>"Huh? I did not take you for one that cared about others," He said, completely amused by the blank look on Izuru's face.</p>
<p>"Interaction with others is pointless, when they do not interest you," Izuru said, moving over to Nagito, who flinched slightly at the site of Izuru's hand reaching out.</p>
<p>Instead of what he was expecting-what exactly had he expected-Izuru took the chain into his hand with a gentle motion. Nagito instinctively tried to move backwards but to gentle grip tightened on the chain, stopping him.</p>
<p>"Hold still," He said, his voice flat as he lifted the chain up, examining it closely.</p>
<p>"R-Right." Nagito said, studying the room for a quick escape. He didn't know what he expected, the only exit was the one right behind him. And he was the one bored enough to follow Izuru into an enclosed space.</p>
<p>"I have no intention of causing you harm at this particular moment," Izuru said flatly, not taking his eyes off the object in his grasp. Nagito couldn't help but to huff at that. "There seems to be no signs of rust on the chain." His eyes travelled up the chain as he spoke to look at the collar itself. "This is a bit tight. It's digging into your skin. The locks pretty easy to dispose of. Why have you not removed it yet?" There was silence between them as Nagito refused to speak to him. Izuru simply removed the collar, after the silence, and put it in Nagito's hands.</p>
<p>"Thank you?" Nagito wasn't sure how to react to this. Izuru simply returned to the beside table putting the black box back into the drawer. "What are you planning to do now, Kamakura-kun," Nagito said, giving him a side glance.</p>
<p>Izuru simply looked at him for a moment before turning toward the kitchen area. Then without a word, he walked into the kitchen, leaving Nagito alone in the room. There was a sound of a door closing, causing Nagito to sigh.</p>
<p>"Questions are a waste of time, I see," Nagito muttered feeling a bit put off by Izuru's actions.</p>
<p>The man said that 'interaction' was pointless, if the person wasn't interesting. And he seemed to not have any interest in Nagito, however, he had let him into his home. There had to be a reason behind it. And that thought put Nagito on a sort of excited edge.</p>
<p>Any number of horrible things could happen, He thought trying to fight off the delight that crawled up his spine. The worse the bad luck, the better the good luck, after all. He couldn't wait to see the results of his reckless actions.</p>
<p>That didn't mean, he didn't feel a bit bored by the lack of conversation. So, to busy himself, he decided to snoop around the room. His first spot was definitely the desk. It was covered in papers, diagrams of a featureless person, and bits and pieces of what looked like a machine.</p>
<p>His eyes drifted from the diagrams to the stacks of papers.The writing was very elegant, but he couldn't understand a word of it, the short hand baffling him. A quick look made him curious enough to pick up a page from the stack closest to him. It seemed to be about Artificial Intelligence and the neurological functions. He could hardly understand any of it, though, as it was written in the same short hand as the diagrams.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?" Izuru had reentered the main room, the same bored expression.</p>
<p>"Oh, I was admiring how beautiful your handwriting is. However, your short hand is simply atrocious. I can't understand any of this." Nagito was disappointed when all he got was a blank stare.</p>
<p>Izuru didn't even flinch at his rude comment, striding across the room and sitting in the chair beside Nagito. Nagito looked after him, studying how the man leaned forward, pulling a laptop out of the large drawer.</p>
<p>Everything about him looked bored to death, his eyes cold and crimson. Nagito wondered if he killed this person, would it instil the hope he desired. No one probably cared enough for it to matter-Certainly not the man himself.</p>
<p>Instead of entertaining the thought, he went back to trying to read the papers. It didn't get any easier to read, but that's what made it interesting, like an encrypted message. He even started to understand some of the repetitive shorthands, after some thought.</p>
<p>"Do you know anything about the neurological functions of the human brain?" Nagito was pulled out of his thoughts by the question.</p>
<p>"Huh?" Nagito was surprised that Izuru started a conversation. "Not really, why do you ask?"</p>
<p>"You seemed interested in those," Izuru said, motioning to the papers. "It's a part of a study the Scientists of Hope's Peak were doing," He said, calmly typing away on the keyboard. "It's the information I retained during the project," He said, setting the portable computer on the desk.</p>
<p>"I see." The human experimentation, Nagito thought wondering if Izuru was continuing the research. "Is this a continuation of the Kamakura project, then?" He said, tapping the diagram beside him.</p>
<p>"Not quite. It's an AI program that I am developing." He said, activating program on the computer.</p>
<p>It seemed to be quite old, looking like a hunk of scrap than a computer, but there was a familiar symbol on it. Hope's Peak Academy's symbol. It was strange for the other to possess a computer from the academy. It had been closed for several years. Just how exactly had he come across such things.</p>
<p>If it's luck, I have that, too, Izuru's voice echoed from their first meeting.</p>
<p>"Does that interest you then?" It was interesting that Izuru had started a conversation, so he couldn't help but ask more questions.</p>
<p>"Not particularly. It's quite dull, to be honest-however, there's something I seek in the project." Nagito wanted to roll his eyes at the response. Because of course it didn't interest him. Nothing seemed to do so, but he was born to please Ultimates and that suppressed his urge to be rude. Instead, he decided to attempt another question.</p>
<p>"What do you seek from the project?"</p>
<p>"The return of Hinata, for the last game," He said typing away on the keyboard. "The stage is almost set, all that's missing is him."</p>
<p>Who the heck was Hinata, Nagito thought furrowing his brow. If Izuru was mentioning him, he had to be an extraordinarily interesting person. "Who is this Hinata person. He seems like someone, who has caught your interest." He let out a small yawn as he spoke, catching Izuru's attention.</p>
<p>"You may use the bed, if you are tired. I have some work to do, so I won't be sleeping tonight." Izuru didn't even look up from his laptop as he continued to type away.</p>
<p>"That's not-" Whatever, Nagito thought giving up on that topic. At this point it was like they were talking to themselves. "Are you sure you want a lowly person, such as myself, sleeping on your bed," Nagito said glancing at the bed, admiring how clean the sheets looked. It would be a shame if he were to dirty them with his disgusting body.</p>
<p>"It does not bother me. I brought you here because you had nowhere else to sleep," Izuru said in a matter of fact tone. That seemed quite kind, but nothing he deserved.</p>
<p>"I am but a servant...The floor is the perfect place for me," Nagito said, holding his hands up defensively.</p>
<p>"I will simply put you on the bed, if I find you sleeping on the floor." The thought unsettled him enough that he grabbed a few pages of Izuru's notes and went to sit on the bed.</p>
<p>It was quite comfortable, his body relaxing as soon as he got comfortable. The room was silent, despite the constant clicking. There was something soothing about the sound, about Izuru, himself. He wanted to know more about him. It was strange to think that. The man had attempted to kill him, not that Nagito hadn't done the same. He'd pulled the trigger first, after all. </p>
<p>He hated the man, but at the same time, being here was strangely serene. It would be wonderful to read a good book in this feeling. His eyes went back to the papers. It wasn't a book, but he began trying to read them. The longer he looked over the papers, the more his eyes seemed to fluttered. Soon, he fell asleep, without even realizing it.</p>
<p>When he awoke, the room was silent a warm blanket was wrapped around him. It was really nice. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this comfortable. He turned his head over to the side trying to remember where he was. His eyes instantly went to long black locks and he instantly sat up.</p>
<p>Izuru was still sitting in the same chair, no longer typing on his computer. It seemed that he hadn't noticed that Nagito had awoken, he simply continued to lean back in the computer chair. His hand was up in the air, holding some sort of small object.</p>
<p>"Did you sleep well," He said, startling Nagito. He'd prided himself on being able to go unnoticed, but Izuru noticed right away.</p>
<p>"Did you put this blanket on me?" And take my shoes off, He thought looking at his bare feet. Silence was his answer as Izuru stood, the object in his hands quickly hidden away inside his suit pocket.</p>
<p>"It's time for breakfast. Will you be joining me?" It was not an answer to his question, which should have been expected. "I'll take your silence as a yes." His eyes went to Izuru's back in confusion. "I wasn't expecting guests, so I don't have much to offer. Do you have any preferences," Izuru said, tilting his head back slightly as if to look at the ceiling.</p>
<p>"Uh-anything is alright with me." Izuru nodded slowly as if suddenly thinking.</p>
<p>"How about toast?" Nagito thought for a moment on how to answer before a smile formed on his face.</p>
<p>"I particularly like toast." Izuru nodded and went off into the kitchen.</p>
<p>It was an odd interaction for the other, it made him wonder if the man had slept at all. It would only be natural if he had not. Nagito had fallen asleep on his bed, after all. Izuru wasn't enough of a weirdo to share the bed with trash like him, at least in his opinion, anyway.</p>
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